DISAPPEARING GIANTS: The Curious Case of Ravenna’s Vanishing OldGrowth Trees
Just three miles from the city center, Ravenna Park attracted visitors beginning in the early 20th century, thanks to its giant trees, mineral springs, fountains, and music pavilion, charging 25¢ for admission.
In 1908, the beloved park even had a handful of its giant trees christened and named—after a Polish pianist (Paderewski), a President (Roosevelt), a General (Robert E. Lee), and many others from Adam and McDowell to Pan and the celebrated “Siamese Twins.” The pianist and President once visited by their namesakes on separate trips to Seattle.
Despite their fame, by 1925 all of these named trees were missing— their disappearance being one of Seattle’s lingering mysteries. Some say the superintendent of the parks department had a hand in their demise saying the trees were rotten, diseased and a threat to public safety, when the Dean of UW’s College of Forestry deemed them healthy. Said superintendent, however was then asked to resign due to “abuse of equipment, abuse of personnel, abuse of funds, intoxication and unauthorized sale of department property,” according to the Seattle P-I. As there are no records, Seattle may never know exactly what happened to its famous trees. But strangely, the tree removal halted after the resignation and fortunately, Ravenna Park remains a lush, serene refuge full of trees and trails to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
